take the present opportunity of saying a few words about a practice
of theirs, highly characteristic of a wandering people, and which

is only extant amongst those of the race who still continue to
wander much; for example, the Russian Gypsies and those of the

Hungarian family, who stroll through Italy on plundering
expeditions: I allude to the PATTERAN or TRAIL.

It is very possible that the reader during his country walks or
rides has observed, on coming to four cross-roads, two or three

handfuls of grass lying at a small distance from each other down
one of these roads; perhaps he may have supposed that this grass

was recently plucked from the roadside by frolicsome children, and
flung upon the ground in sport, and this may possibly have been the

case; it is ten chances to one, however, that no children's hands
plucked them, but that they were strewed in this manner by Gypsies,

for the purpose of informing any of their companions, who might be
straggling behind, the route which they had taken; this is one form

of the patteran or trail. It is likely, too, that the gorgio
reader may have seen a cross drawn at the entrance of a road, the

long part or stem of it pointing down that particular road, and he
may have thought nothing of it, or have supposed that some

sauntering individual like himself had made the mark with his
stick: not so, courteous gorgio; ley tiro solloholomus opre lesti,

YOU MAY TAKE YOUR OATH UPON IT that it was drawn by a Gypsy finger,
for that mark is another of the Rommany trails; there is no mistake

in this. Once in the south of France, when I was weary, hungry,
and penniless, I observed one of these last patterans, and

following the direction pointed out, arrived at the resting-place
of 'certain Bohemians,' by whom I was received with kindness and

hospitality, on the faith of no other word of recommendation than
patteran. There is also another kind of patteran, which is more

particularly adapted for the night; it is a cleft stick stuck at
the side of the road, close by the hedge, with a little arm in the

cleft pointing down the road which the band have taken, in the
manner of a signpost; any stragglers who may arrive at night where

cross-roads occur search for this patteran on the left-hand side,
and speedilyrejoin their companions.

By following these patterans, or trails, the first Gypsies on their
way to Europe never lost each other, though wandering amidst horrid

wildernesses and dreary defiles. Rommany matters have always had a
peculiar interest for me; nothing, however, connected with Gypsy

life ever more captivated my imagination than this patteran system:
many thanks to the Gypsies for it; it has more than once been of

service to me.
The English Gypsies at the present day are far from being a

numerous race; I consider their aggregate number, from the
opportunities which I have had of judging, to be considerably under

ten thousand: it is probable that, ere the conclusion of the
present century, they will have entirely disappeared. They are in

general quite strangers to the commonest rudiments of education;
few even of the most wealthy can either read or write. With

respect to religion, they call themselves members of the
Established Church, and are generally anxious to have their

children baptized, and to obtain a copy of the register. Some of
their baptismal papers, which they carry about with them, are

highly curious, going back for a period of upwards of two hundred
years. With respect to the essential points of religion, they are

quite careless and ignorant; if they believe in a future state they
dread it not, and if they manifest when dying any anxiety, it is

not for the soul, but the body: a handsome coffin, and a grave in
a quiet country churchyard, are invariably the objects of their

last thoughts; and it is probable that, in their observance of the
rite of baptism, they are principally influenced by a desire to

enjoy the privilege of burial in consecrated ground. A Gypsy
family never speak of their dead save with regret and affection,

and any request of the dying individual is attended to, especially
with regard to interment; so much so, that I have known a corpse

conveyed a distance of nearly one hundred miles, because the
deceased expressed a wish to be buried in a particular spot.

Of the language of the English Gypsies, some specimens will be
given in the sequel; it is much more pure and copious than the

Spanish dialect. It has been asserted that the English Gypsies are
not possessed of any poetry in their own tongue; but this is a

gross error; they possess a great many songs and ballads upon
ordinary subjects, without any particular merit, however, and

seemingly of a very modern date.
THE GYPSIES OF THE EAST, OR ZINGARRI

What has been said of the Gypsies of Europe is, to a considerable
extent, applicable to their brethren in the East, or, as they are

called, Zingarri; they are either found wandering amongst the
deserts or mountains, or settled in towns, supporting themselves by

horse-dealing or jugglery, by music and song. In no part of the
East are they more numerous than in Turkey, especially in

Constantinople, where the females frequently enter the harems of
the great, pretending to cure children of 'the evil eye,' and to

interpret the dreams of the women. They are not unfrequently seen
in the coffee-houses, exhibiting their figures in lascivious dances

to the tune of various instruments; yet these females are by no
means unchaste, however their manners and appearance may denote the

contrary, and either Turk or Christian who, stimulated by their
songs and voluptuous movements, should address them with proposals

of a dishonourable nature, would, in all probability, meet with a
decided repulse.

Among the Zingarri are not a few who deal in precious stones, and
some who vend poisons; and the most remarkable individual whom it

has been my fortune to encounteramongst the Gypsies, whether of
the Eastern or Western world, was a person who dealt in both these

articles. He was a native of Constantinople, and in the pursuit of
his trade had visited the most remote and remarkable portions of

the world. He had traversed alone and on foot the greatest part of
India; he spoke several dialects of the Malay, and understood the

original language of Java, that isle more fertile in poisons than
even 'far Iolchos and Spain.' From what I could learn from him, it

appeared that his jewels were in less request than his drugs,
though he assured me that there was scarcely a Bey or Satrap in

Persia or Turkey whom he had not supplied with both. I have seen
this individual in more countries than one, for he flits over the

world like the shadow of a cloud; the last time at Granada in
Spain, whither he had come after paying a visit to his Gitano

brethren in the presidio of Ceuta.
Few Eastern authors have spoken of the Zingarri, notwithstanding

they have been known in the East for many centuries; amongst the
few, none has made more curious mention of them than Arabschah, in

a chapter of his life of Timour or Tamerlane, which is deservedly
considered as one of the three classic works of Arabian literature.

This passage, which, while it serves to illustrate the craft, if
not the valour of the conqueror of half the world, offers some

curious particulars as to Gypsy life in the East at a remote
period, will scarcely be considered out of place if reproduced

here, and the following is as close a translation of it as the
metaphorical style of the original will allow.

'There were in Samarcand numerous families of Zingarri of various
descriptions: some were wrestlers, others gladiators, others

pugilists. These people were much at variance, so that hostilities
and battling were continually arising amongst them. Each band had

its chief and subordinate officers; and it came to pass that Timour
and the power which he possessed filled them with dread, for they

knew that he was aware of their crimes and disorderly way of life.
Now it was the custom of Timour, on departing upon his expeditions,

to leave a viceroy in Samarcand; but no sooner had he left the
city, than forth marched these bands, and giving battle to the

viceroy, deposed him and took possession of the government, so that
on the return of Timour he found order broken, confusion reigning,

and his throne overturned, and then he had much to do in restoring